IT FEELS A LOT LIKE . . . LIKE
LIBBY
“Mom, we’re here!” I shout as I walk into my parents’ house. Miss Ina, who came with me for dinner, gives me an unhappy look. “What?”
“It’s rude for a young woman to shout.”
“I’m in the kitchen!” Mom shouts.
I grin at Miss Ina, who rolls her eyes. I drop my purse on top of the small table near the front door, then take off my coat and hang it in the coat closet.
I start to help Miss Ina with her coat, but I have to back away from her when she starts to slap at my hands. “Stop fussing over me all the darn time,” she says crankily.
“I was just trying to help you out,” I say, hiding my smile when she glares at me. I don’t know what it is, but I really like annoying the woman. It’s becoming my favorite pastime.
“Was there a lot of traffic?” Mom asks as we walk into the kitchen. It’s where she likes to spend most of her time. She’s always puttering around the kitchen making something, sitting at the island writing out lists, or chatting online with her friends on her laptop.
“Yes,” Miss Ina answers.
Simultaneously, I answer, “No.”
“I see.” Mom smiles, looking between the two of us. “Now tell me again why you couldn’t invite your boyfriend to come along with you?”
“He’s working the next two days,” I say, reminding her of exactly what I told her on the phone that very afternoon, when she asked me to come out to Long Island to have dinner with her and my dad.
“How are things going between you two?”
I shrug my shoulders.
“She didn’t come home last night. I’d say they’re going okay,” Miss Ina informs my mom.
I look down at her and narrow my eyes. “Will you stop spying on me?” I snap at her.
She smirks.
“You didn’t sleep at home last night?” Mom whispers.
I grit my teeth. “I stayed at Antonio’s place.”
“Was it PG?” Miss Ina questions.
I don’t look at her again. “Yes. Very, very PG,” I lie outright.
What we did before we watched a movie was not very PG at all, and what we did when he woke me up this morning was a whole lot less PG than that. It was also amazing. Still, even with how amazing the orgasms were, going to sleep in his arms and waking up with him was the best part of the whole night.
“You look like you’re in love. Are you in love?” Mom asks hopefully.
My stomach drops.
Am I in love? I don’t think so, but I’ve never been in love before so I don’t know what it feels like. “Ugh,” I answer lamely.
“I think it’s love,” Miss Ina contributes, going around the island to stand next to Mom, across from where I’ve taken a seat on one of the three barstools at the counter.
“I think right now that I’m in like with him.”
“In like with him?” Mom frowns, looking confused.
“It feels a lot like . . . like,” I say, nodding my head.
Mom looks at Miss Ina. “Do you know what being ‘in like’ means?”
“I don’t think it means spending the night together,” she says.
I sigh. “Can we not talk about that right now?”
“You’re starting to be as closed up as your sisters are about their relationships,” Mom says, sounding disappointed.
“When there is something for you to know, you will be the first person I tell, Mom. But as of right now, Antonio and I are just seeing each other. I don’t know what will happen between us, and I’m trying not to think too much about it. I like him and I think he likes me—right now that’s all I know.”
“I guess,” she grumbles, turning to stir whatever she’s cooking on the stove.
“Mom . . . ,” I groan. She looks at me. “You have a new son-in-law and a grandbaby coming. You should be happy with that.”
“I am happy, but I want all my girls happy and settled.”
“I’m happy, Mom. Really happy,” I say gently.
Her face softens. “Okay,” she whispers.
“Okay,” I whisper back.
“Now tell me about Pool,” she says.
I smile. This morning Antonio went with me to the vet, who said Pool is in perfect health for a stray. When we left the vet, he took me to the pet store to get all the things I would need, like a litter box, food, a collar, and some toys. I told Mom about Pool when she called to invite me to dinner. Okay, she didn’t actually invite me . . . she told me I’d better be there and that I needed to bring Miss Ina to get her out of her apartment.
“He’s adorable. I wanted to bring him with me, but I figured it would be better to leave him to get used to his new place.”
“What are you two talking about?” Miss Ina looks between Mom and me.
“I got a kitten,” I tell her.
She frowns at me. “Cats aren’t allowed in the building.”
“How will the landlord know if I don’t tell him?” I ask.
Her brows pull sharply together as she answers. “I am the landlord, child, and you just told me about it.”
“You’re not the landlord.”
“Yes, I am,” she says so vehemently that I know she’s not lying.
“You are?”
“Yes. My husband and I bought that house right after we were married.”
“But I pay rent to an agency.”
“I don’t have time to deal with all the issues that come with being a landlord, so I hired out,” she informs me, waving her hand around. “And I don’t allow animals in my building.”
“So you’re going to make me move because I have a cat?” I ask her. She frowns. “What if I give you a pet deposit?”
“Why did you get a cat when you know they are not allowed in the building?”
“I didn’t go to a store and buy him, or even adopt him from the pound. I saw him behind the pizzeria in the alley a couple nights ago. I tried to rescue him then, but he disappeared. Last night Antonio caught him, so we took him to his place and got him cleaned up. This morning I took him to the vet to make sure he was okay. He is, so I brought him home.”
“So he’s a wild cat?” she says, sounding disturbed.
“He’s just a kitten. He’s actually really sweet. He didn’t even try to bite or scratch me or Antonio when we gave him a bath.”
“If Miss Ina won’t allow you to keep him, you can bring him here. Your dad and I will take him,” Mom says.
Disappointment fills my stomach. I don’t want to get rid of him. I’ve already fallen in love with the little guy. It was nice having another living being in the apartment with me when I was home today. Plus, he followed me around everywhere, even when I was doing my makeup and hair. He sat right there on the closed seat of the toilet, watching me.
“Miss Ina, please don’t make me give him away,” I beg. I swear I see her expression warm. “Please? I promise I will make sure that he doesn’t do anything to destroy the apartment. I will pay whatever pet deposit you want me to.”
“All right, child. Stop begging. You can keep the cat,” she acquiesces with a dismissive wave.
I quickly scoot off my stool and wrap her up in a tight hug. “Thank you.” I jump up and down, keeping hold of her.
“Stop hugging me. You’re wrinkling my clothes,” she complains, trying to shove me off. I don’t budge. I hug her tighter. Finally, she lets her arms fall to her sides and gives in to my embrace. Smiling, I kiss the top of her head quickly. Then I let her go and duck when she tries to smack me.
“You really do like me, don’t you, Miss Ina?” I grin as she swipes her hands down the front of her top and pants. Then her eyes meet mine, and she glares.
“Don’t make me change my mind.”
“You do like me. I think I might hug you again,” I tell her, listening to Mom laugh.
“What’s going on in here?” Dad walks into the kitchen, and I wrap my arms around his waist. I feel his lips touch the top of my head as he gives me a hug. “Hey, honey.”
“Hey, Dad.” I look up at him, and he smiles.
“You want a beer?” Mom asks him. He nods, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his side.
“How are things going with the pizzeria?” he asks me.
“Good. We’re getting closer. We should close in a couple weeks if everything goes as planned. I’ll let you know a few days or so in advance so you can schedule the time off to be there when it’s time to sign the papers.”
“Good.” He grins at me.
“Have you thought of a name yet?” Mom asks.
“Princess Pizza,” I say, and she laughs. “I’m serious. I already started the designs for the logo, and I plan on closing down the shop for a week and having some changes made to the interior after we sign the papers.”
“What kind of changes?” Miss Ina asks.
“There’s a large storage room in the back of the shop that I want to have gutted. I plan on making it a space that’s available for rent. Parents can rent it for a birthday party, for example, or they can get a package where the kids will be able to make their own pizzas in there.”
“That’s actually a really great idea,” Mom says with a proud smile.
“I’m excited. Scared, but really excited about it.”
“We’re proud of you,” Dad says.
I tip my head back to smile up at him, and he gives my shoulder a squeeze.
“Have you told Antonio?” Mom asks. I shake my head, hating the disappointment I see in her eyes. “Honey, you need to tell him.”
“I know. I’m going to tell him when I see him next.”
“I think you should tell him before that,” Dad urges. Miss Ina nods her head.
“He’s working the next two days. It’s not something I want to share with him over the phone, but I do plan on telling him as soon as I see him again.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Mom says quietly.
Fear fills my stomach and chest. I have no idea what I’m doing. I should have told him after our first date, but I stupidly didn’t. Every time I’ve tried to tell him since then, I’ve gotten distracted by his kisses and touches. Or he’s completely shut me down when I’ve brought up the shop.
“It will be okay. He’ll understand why I didn’t tell him before,” I say, hoping that uttering those words out loud will make them true.
“Okay . . . ,” Mom agrees reluctantly.
“Do you want me to set the table?” I ask, needing something to do.
She nods.
I give my dad’s waist a squeeze, then let him go so I can set the table. I help Mom put out the food. After dinner, Miss Ina insists that we catch a cab back into the city, and I make it to the shop in time to help Hector close down the pizzeria.
“Hello?” I answer my cell phone, bringing it under the covers with me. I got into bed a while ago. Even though I’m beyond tired, I have had a hard time finding sleep.
“Hey, baby.”
Antonio.
“Hey,” I say, feeling my stomach get warm. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. Just missed the sound of your voice.”
Oh my god.
“You did?”
“Yeah,” he says.
I can hear the smile in his voice. I’ve missed the sound of his voice, too, which is ridiculous since it’s only been a day since I’ve heard it. Actually, if I’m being honest, I miss him.
“I miss you . . . I mean . . . . I . . . uh . . .”
“It’s okay.” He laughs, but I groan and cover my face with my hand. “Good to know I don’t even have to be in the same room with you to short-circuit your brain.”
“I don’t know that that’s a good thing,” I mumble, feeling Pool walk up my body and then stop on my chest. Opening my eyes, I see him in the dark, staring at me. He falls to his bottom before lying down.
“How’s our cat?”
Our cat? I like the idea of Pool being our cat.
“He’s good. Settling in. I left him today to go have dinner with my parents and came home to my house being just as I left it, so that’s good news. Also, I found out that Miss Ina is actually my landlord. She said I can keep him, so I don’t have to worry about giving him up or finding a new place to live. I don’t think I could give him up now that I have him.”
“I would have kept him at my place if it was a problem for you. Pets are allowed in my building without much of a deposit.”
“That’s good to know.”
“I’ll have to pay that anyways since I liked having you in my space. When you stay over, you can bring him with you.”
“Oh,” I whisper, not sure what to say to that. I liked being at his place, too, and I like the idea of staying with him again.
“What’s that ‘oh’ about?” he asks quietly.
“I guess I never really thought about staying over there more than once. I . . . I like the idea. It was nice going to bed with you and waking up with you.”
“Good,” he says, and I snuggle deeper into my covers. “Are you in bed now?”
“Yeah. I have to open the salon tomorrow, so I’m trying to get to sleep.”
“Get some rest, Princess. I’ll call you tomorrow evening when I have a chance.”
“Be safe,” I whisper.
“Always,” he whispers back before hanging up. Setting my cell down on my side table, I squeeze my eyes closed.
“Pool, I really, really like him. Do you think I’m an idiot?” I ask, running my fingers over his soft fur. He starts to purr. “I need to tell him what’s going on before this ends up like a really bad romance movie and my heart gets splattered all over the place,” I tell him, having no idea how right I am about that.